Title: Take My Soul Away
Genre: My attempt at a Romance/Angst ficcy
Rating: T; though I'm not really that sure. Just tell me if it needs to be upped.
Summary: Ron dies for denying where Harry is. Harry, along with everyone, blames himself and Hermione is devastated for losing his boyfriend. Now, they are being strong for each other. How long will this comforting go when something far more troubling than Ron's death causes the two to drift away. HHR; you can expect very, very little to none HG; and of course, my other favorite DG!
A/n: wee… this is my next attempt for a story… Personally, I find it really weird and ugly. I hate it yet I like it. Oh you know… I just need you to enjoy the story and probably some good reviews, and please if you just really care to review, keep that flame that's burning in your heart to yourself, I wish not to be bothered by it, please…. I know I'll just find it really disturbing and I'll grow upset and everything.
IMPORTANT: Horcurxes never existed in my story!
Disclaimer: The delusional HHR shipper author states that nothing on the written story below belongs to her except for the plot which surprisingly came to her while finishing her term paper, thus, making it her own.
Read to your heart's content… Chapter 1: Draco's DetourIt was raining quite hard and the night enveloped the grounds with such uncertain darkness that even an owl wouldn't grace the branch of the oak tree with its presence.
Swish. Squish. Squish.
Someone was quietly making its way to the darkened castle of Hogwarts.
Swish. Squish. Squish.
Another one was approaching, not far for the first one. And another… and another… and another… there were almost a group of a hundred hooded and masked people… people who brand themselves as Death Eaters… making their way quietly towards the dormant Hogwarts.
A young man, stationed at the far end of the pack, almost unwillingly trudged behind the clad of black. A lock of silvery blond hair strayed at the side of his mask as he kept his gaze to the ground, if anyone would look at him, it would seem as if he was ashamed to be in his position and willed nothing but to run away from the group. This young man was Draco Malfoy.
A loud clinking cut him from his train of thoughts. The lock of its almighty iron gate has come off, although with a little force to make it unlock.
The group stood in front of the now unlocked and useless Iron Gate. Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy stood in front of the opened barrier.
"Well… what do you think the school is doing at this time?" Malfoy asked the former Potions teacher.
"I honestly have no idea… by this time, I am already retiring in my room or fixing my office," Snape told him. Lucius looked furious, now they were lost. They can't go attacking the school while all were alert, and they can't very well just barge in, or Aurors will bombard them as they enter to claim Potter. It has been always like that since Dumbledore's death, Hogwarts was well protected.
Draco took a glance at his wristwatch. Being a former student himself, he knew that prefects would still be going around and making rounds. But the school year just having started, things might be too relaxed inside the castle, he wasn't sure anymore and still he didn't want to care, for he longed for nothing but to be back inside its comforting walls.
"Maybe we should ask someone more familiar with the school after-dark activities," Snape offered.
"I had the impression you were this someone until you broke it when you said that at this time you were having your beauty rest tucked neatly in your bed," Lucius stated harshly.
"Beauty rest, are you bloody mad! Maybe you need some yourself, after all that time sleeping with the dementors in your dingy cell. Tell me, Lucius, do they read you bedtime stories?" Snape shot back.
"Oh shove it, both of you," said a death eater from behind them, one of the few women amongst the feared followers of Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Oh, going to play as Master's favorite again, are you Bella?" Lucius said.
"Piss off… we don't have time to argue, we need to figure out how we can attack the school without anyone noticing," she said.
"Oh, I doubt that… The school is always alert and ready; it's been that way since Dumbledore's death… what you should say is we attack them aggressively and give them no time to react and counter our attack. We take Potter and then leave and take as many lives that come between our goal and us," said another death eater.
"Well, I suppose that's one way to look at it. You're sprouting brains already, Goyle!" Bellatrix said in surprise.
"SO my dear nephew, what do you think we should do next? You're a former student, you would know," Bellatrix turned towards Draco.
Draco very much wanted to fade away unnoticed, he really didn't want to be here and plot against his former home. Yes it was his former home, he never was at home at the manor, it was always too cold, unwelcoming and held nothing but evil to be called home.
Draco sighed to himself. He didn't want to become a death eater. Yes, he once did, but now, after Dumbledore saying that he will be well protected on the other side… after all, that's what he has been looking for, security. And oh how that pleading eyes haunted him every night even though the owner of that gaze was buried by the lake of Hogwarts… a gaze that made him loathe himself for almost committing a crime in order to pronounce himself as a server of the dark.
But now, he asked nothing but to be able smooth his mistakes, starting now…
"I don't care," he said silently as his aunt gazed at him oddly.
"I beg your pardon?" she asked furiously.
"Oh, I didn't know you had the manners to beg, Aunt Bella," Draco answered sarcastically.
SMACK!
The powerful calloused hand of Lucius came in contact with his pale face with such a striking force that he was thrown backwards toward the ground.
His mask fell of from his face and his blond hair sprayed across his face. He grazed his fingers across his lips and saw droplets of blood on his fingertips.
Before he could stand himself up, he received a hard kick in the gut.
"I didn't know you don't have manners yourself, Draco," said his angry father.
Draco wiped his lips and stood up, not looking at his father even once. He kept his gray eyes still to the ground.
"I… I just…. I don't want to be like that… I don't want to be a death eater… I don't want to kill and… I just…. Don't like to be what I wanted before," Draco said.
Lucius punched him again and Draco writhed in pain.
"You coward!"
"No I am not!" Draco yelled. Lucius just beat him up until the young man almost lay in the muddy ground unable to defend himself.
"Draco, you have been born to serve the Dark Lord and him only! What in the bloody hell are you saying? Have you gone soft like that old man Dumbledore?" Lucius asked, grasping his shoulders and shaking him wildly.
"He was never soft," Draco told him.
Lucius made to strike him again but Bellatrix stopped him.
"Lucius, leave the bloody ungrateful prat! We don't need him and we need to hurry up!" she hissed.
Lucius calmed himself and proceeded towards the opened gate with the others leaving Draco on his own, lying in a heap on the muddy ground and panting.
Silence filled everything around Draco, but his heart was pounding madly. If these Death Eaters did successfully attack Hogwarts somehow, they would eventually get to Harry, the one they have been sent to get for Voldemort, and if that happens, Voldemort is as good as victorious… as they believe…
He gingerly tried to get up, ignoring the pain coursing through his ribs, which were undoubtedly broken. He had to get to the school and somehow warn them about the Death Eaters' attack.
He cringed as he tried to walk slowly towards the castle, and stumbling a little, it seems that his left leg is broken too. He continued to limp towards the gate to the familiar air of the grounds of Hogwarts.
He wished the Death Eaters would still work up slowly and quietly as they were ordered for they might alert the Aurors around the school. Draco really thought they would never even reach the gates of Hogwarts. But of course, with the help of some Death Eaters in the Ministry, they were able to enter undetected between the changes of shifts of the Aurors.
Draco limped slowly and painfully towards the Grand oak doors. He paused at the topmost step and collapsed on the floor in front of the door. With all his might (or the strength still left in him) he knocked loudly and looked around wildly. He sighed in relief as a still night welcomed him; probably the Death Eaters were busy somewhere in the forest looking for a good route towards the school to notice Draco.
A creak was heard and a tiny crack of orange light spilled into the dark damp ground, causing Draco to heave a sigh of relief and look towards the now slightly parted entrance.
Professor McGonagall and the caretaker Argus Filch were situated behind the vaguely ajar door, wands at the ready.
"P-Professor," Draco started panting.
"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall said with surprise and bewilderment as she lowered her wand a little.
"D-death Eaters, they're here… attack school… please… I need… I need you to believe…"
Professor McGonagall stood there, stunned. Not long ago, the death eaters attacked, taking the life of their beloved headmaster. Now, they were back. What could they possibly want now?
"Mr. Filch… warn the Aurors stationed at the Hogsmeade station; I think he's trying to tell us that we're under attack," McGonagall finally said.
"But headmistress, he… he's a traitor… he betrayed Dumbledore… why would you believe his words? It seems that the Death Eaters are just using him to guide us to the wrong path," Filch argued
"Mr. Filch… Dumbledore never considered Draco as a traitor… nor do I… I believe it is time to trust him once more… I believe him…we are in no position to judge anyone, and I am not asking you to do the same but please, call the Aurors and the staff now," McGonagall said.
Filch, although he liked nothing but to argue, followed the new headmistress' orders and left quietly.
McGonagall closed her eyes, "Dumbledore, the school needs you… where are you Albus?" she whispered to herself.
A groan from Draco cut her from her current thoughts.
"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, you need to go to the Hospital Wing, quickly," she said and the two of them staggered towards the infirmary.
………………………
BLAG. BLAG. BLAG.
Someone was pounding heavily on the door of the room of the Head Boy, Harry Potter. The head boy himself was snoozing soundly in his bed and was greatly startled by the commotion made by the Head Girl, Hermione Granger.
"Harry! Harry! Oh, please just wake up!" screamed Hermione from the other side.
Harry quickly opened the door for her troubled best friend.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" he cautiously asked. He let his hand stray across his forehead where his old lightning bolt shaped scar prickled nastily.
"Harry, McGonagall just told me this, Harry… the school is under attack!" she managed to breathe out.
"What!" Harry yelped in surprise.
Hermione nodded.
"Harry, we must come down quick, make sure that no other students comes out of their common rooms…and… oh, Harry!" Hermione threw herself at Harry and sobbed.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked softly.
"H-Harry, oh… Ron…. I haven't seen him yet… he… he has his rounds today and…. He's not in the common room," Hermione sobbed. Harry hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. Upon hearing this, he himself remembered his own girlfriend, Ginny, and felt a sickly setting feeling in his gut.
"Hermione, he'll be alright," he said quietly.
"Oh… and by the way, Ginny is in the Hospital Wing having her pre-Healer practice, she'll be safe, McGonagall wanted you to know that," Hermione added. Harry sighed in relief.
"Come on, we need to help them," Harry said, and the both of them proceeded downstairs.
…………………….. Hospital Wing……………….
Ginny had her head down on Draco's bed… she was assigned to look after him while Madame Pomfrey bustled around, preparing for the expected and highly unwanted injuries.
Draco groaned causing Ginny to look at him for a while. His gray eyes were visible behind his heavy lids.
"Weasellette…. Potter…." He muttered.
"What?" Ginny asked, now highly interested.
"P-Potter… they're coming after him," Draco muttered with all his energy.
"What!" Ginny hissed, terribly surprised by Draco's bit of information. "Why didn't you tell me at once?"
"Have you seen what my current state is?" Draco asked tiredly.
Ginny huffed and ran towards the door.
"Ms. Weasley! Where are you going?" Madame Pomfrey asked utterly bewildered by Ginny's sudden motive to leave.
"It's… Harry…. I need to find him," Ginny said and with that she hurriedly left leaving the school nurse worried and confused.
…………………
"That stupid son of yours is ruining all of our plans!" hissed Snape as they ran along, trying rather unsuccessfully to avoid the alerted Aurors. Lucius, on the other hand, just ignored the ex-professor's comment. A few of them were running away in vain search for Harry Potter while some of them have been throwing curses and dueling with the Aurors.
"Never mind the boy… we need to find Potter and quick," Bellatrix said.
"How are we going to find him? They must've been alerted of the plan and sent him away or hid him," Lucius said.
"Whatever it takes…. I don't care how many lives it would have to take but we need to get the BOY!" Bellatrix said angrily.
"Wait…a…minute…." Snape came to a halt. His other two companions stopped behind him.
"What now?" Lucius asked impatiently but the greasy-haired man just stared on the corridor in front of them; the other, two followed suit, the three of them hiding behind a statue of a one-eyed witch.
The corridor was still and silent until the sound of scurrying footsteps could be heard from the other end. In an instant, a shadow of a young man could be seen walking in a hurry, throwing nervous backward glances.
The three Death Eaters' eyes narrowed at the sight of the coming boy.
"STUPEFY!" Snape yelled and the young man was thrown backwards, stunned. The three went forward to look at their newly caught prey.
"He is certainly not Potter," Bellatrix said angrily.
"Weasley!" both Snape and Lucius hissed. There at their feet lay a red-haired freckled young man… Ron Weasley
TBCA/n: Hope to see you in the next! It's just a prologue…
Hugs, Trishie
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